The brother of a man who was killed by an elephant while on holiday in Thailand has described his death as a "shock" and says his family are "devastated".

Michael Crowe said his brother Gareth was on "a trip of a lifetime" when the tragedy struck on the island of Koh Samui.

Gareth, 36, and his 16-year-old stepdaughter had been riding the animal when it apparently turned on its handler during a jungle trek.

The Bangkok Post said the 13-year-old elephant, called Golf, became agitated when its handler stopped to take pictures, hitting the handler with its trunk before stabbing him in the torso with a tusk, causing serious injuries.

It then threw Mr Crowe and his stepdaughter from its back, trampling on the professional diver and goring him with its tusk, killing him instantly.

Video:Briton Killed By Elephant

His stepdaughter was treated in hospital after sustaining minor injuries.

Michael Crowe told Sky News: "He loved Thailand. It was a big trip taking his family there. They were all looking forward to it and it ended in tragedy.

"The elephant ride was just the thing he had done on holiday. It wasn't going out there purely to do an elephant ride. It was just something he wanted to do with his stepdaughter.

"It's completely devastating for his family. The suddenness. It's just a shock."

The elephant ran off into the forest after the killings and was later shot with a tranquiliser dart.

A spokesman for the Office of Livestock Development said the animal was being looked after by its usual caretakers and showered constantly to cool off while remaining chained.

Koh Samui police are investigating the incident.

Mr Crowe's stepdaughter, Eilidh Hughes, appeared to respond to claims made by witnesses that her father had teased the elephant with a banana.

"He was not teasing the elephant as I was his 16-year-old daughter who is lying in hospital and I was on it," she wrote on the Samui Times website.

Mr Crowe's partner Catherine Hughes and their son were reportedly not on the jungle trek.

Michael Crowe said the family were doing everything they could to get his brother's body and family home quickly and safely.

"We want Gareth here and we want his family safe," he added. "They are going through a terrible time right now and they need to be here."

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We are offering support to the family of a British national who has sadly died following an incident in Koh Samui, Thailand, and are making contact with the local authorities to seek further information."

The charity World Animal Protection said that while its thoughts were with Mr Crowe's loved ones, it was a "stark reminder" that elephants were not meant to be ridden.

A spokeswoman said: "Elephants are cruelly abused to tame them enough so they give rides and perform in shows.

"Most tourists don't know about these abuses, or the potential danger they put themselves in."